This morning, the great folks at Baseball America released an updated top 10 list of Washington Nationals prospects. I really respect the work that BA does, so this list holds a lot of weight to me. While most of the list consisted of familiar names, there were a couple surprises as well.
As you can see, Eli Willits was ranked as the Nats number one prospect, and his tool grades are very impressive. His hitting ability and speed are considered elite tools. Meanwhile, his fielding and arm are above average while his power is seen as average. Willits is a well-rounded player, who also has standout tools.
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In the writeup, BA said that his pure bat to ball skills were merely above average instead of elite. However, his plate discipline is so good that it helps boost his hit tool. We saw that in his first full professional season, where Willits walked at a 17.7% clip. Power has always been seen as his weakest tool, but even that was better than expected in 2026.
The 18 year old hit 14 homers, 27 doubles and 8 triples in 114 games this year. Willits posted a 100.4 MPH 90th percentile EV, which is below average, but some of the other numbers are more encouraging. His average exit velocity was 89.2 MPH, which is actually slightly above big league average. Meanwhile, his max exit velocity was over 110 MPH, which is very good for an 18 year old. Power will never be the best part of his game, but this season Willits showed he has plenty of juice.
At the end of his writeup, BA said that Willits is tracking like an All-Star shortstop who could lead the league in stolen bases and runs. With 62 steals on the season, Willits’ base running ability is elite. When I saw him in person, that aggression on the basepaths was one of my main takeaways.
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We already know a lot about Eli Willits though. He was the number one overall pick in the draft and is a player Nats fans have been following. However, Samil Serrano is a teenaged prospect fans might not be as aware of. The biggest surprise of this BA list is that Serrano was ranked as the Nats 5th best prospect. He was ahead of bigger names such as Devin Fitz-Gerald and Chris Hacopian.
Serrano is a very young player, having just turned 18 a few days ago. He was the Nats biggest international signing this past year, inking a deal with $1.97 million. His stock only rose in the Dominican Summer League this year. He put up great surface level numbers, but his underlying data was even better.
In 48 DSL games, Serrano hit .310 with a .968 OPS and became a DSL All-Star. Impressively, Serrano walked more than he struck out this season. He might be the best pure hitter to come from the Nats international ranks since Juan Soto. The only competition would be Luis Garcia Jr., but Serrano has better plate discipline and power at this stage.
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There was one stat in Baseball America’s writeup that made me pop up in my seat. Serrano ranked in the 90th percentile of DSL hitters in contact rate, chase rate and 90th percentile exit velocity. The only other player to meet that criteria in the statcast era is Jesus Made, who is now the best prospect in baseball.
We still need to see how he does when he arrives in the US this year, but it is easy to see why BA is so bullish on him. Even at this early stage, it is clear to see that he is a special offensive talent. Serrano has the ability to hit for average and power. While he is not some exceptional athlete, his hitting ability is good enough to carry his profile.
On the defensive side of the ball, Serrano plays center field right now. He is seen as having good instincts in the outfield, but average speed means he is likely to be a corner outfielder. However, he has enough athleticism and arm strength to be a good defender in right field.
The Nats have not had a lot of great international prospects in recent years, but Serrano is one. His stateside debut is something I will be watching very closely. He will probably start the season in rookie ball, but do not be surprised if he is with the Fred-Nats and putting up solid numbers in the summer.
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This is the type of prospect who could rise on to top 100 lists before too long. On MLB Pipeline’s rankings, he is the Nats 16th best prospect, but I assume he will rise when that is updated.
Putting Serrano in the top 5 is an aggressive ranking from BA. There are safer prospects who have a much longer track record that are behind him in the rankings. However, this boldness shows just how high the industry is on Serrano. By this time next year, we could be saying some things about Serrano that sound outlandish right now.
Baseball America is behind a paywall, so I do not want to spoil the entire list. They do great work though and if you are passionate about prospects, I would highly recommend subscribing to them. This list was fascinating. It made me even higher on Willits and made me think about Samil Serrano in a different light.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
